Man pleads not guilty to fatal hit-and-run near Chico State

Family and friends of Kristina Chesterman gather outside the Butte County Courthouse in Oroville after the arraignment of Riley Hoover on Oct. 9. Hoover pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.(Frank Rebelo/Staff Photo)

OROVILLE -- An Ohio man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he allegedly struck and killed a bicycle rider on Nord Avenue in Chico last month.

Riley Dean Hoover, 19, entered the pleas in Butte County Superior Court, according to his attorney, Robert Marshall.

Hoover is charged with felony driving under the influence causing injury for the death of Chico State University nursing student Kristina Chesterman, 21, of Livermore. He also faces the special allegation that he inflicted great bodily injury causing coma.

The defendant also faces a felony count of transporting marijuana for sale and an added felony count of manufacturing concentrated cannabis. The new count was added following an ongoing investigation that has also led to the arrest of 12 other people on marijuana-related charges (see story, front page).

"I'm just looking forward to the D.A. doing a good job and prosecuting to the full extent (of the law)," he said.

Many supporting Kristina Chesterman attended Wednesday's hearing. Dave Chesterman said the 40 classmates in his daughter's nursing school class were like brothers and sisters to her, and they loved her in turn.

Some wore pink T-shirts with the quote, "Always have old memories and young hopes."

Dave Chesterman explained the quote was from a fortune Kristina's mother, Sandra, found in their daughter's coat pocket while they were at the hospital waiting to hear if Kristina would survive.

"We just figured that was Kristina's last message to us," he said.

Hoover's next scheduled court appearance is a Dec. 5 preliminary examination. During that hearing, a judge will hear evidence and determine if there is probable cause to hold the defendant for trial on the charges.

Chico police has alleged Hoover struck Chesterman before 11 p.m. Sept. 22, as she was riding north in the northbound bike lane of Nord Avenue as it crossed the Big Chico Creek bridge. She had been returning to her Stewart Avenue apartment after an evening of studying at the Chico State library.

Chesterman was taken to Enloe Medical Center and declared brain dead two days later.

Police contacted and arrested Hoover at his apartment complex about a third of a mile away. They had responded to calls he allegedly struck a parked vehicle in the complex's parking lot. Hoover's blood alcohol content was reportedly tested at 0.10 percent about 10 hours after the incident.

A search of Hoover's GMC Envoy sport utility vehicle reportedly yielded 2.95 pounds of hashish, District Attorney Mike Ramsey said Wednesday. Earlier reports indicated the amount was two ounces, but Ramsey indicated police later said that was a typographic error.

Ramsey said the hashish was separated in three packages, two were triple sealed, while one was quadruple sealed. He said police also found a flat-rate box for shipping through the U.S. Postal Service. There was no destination location, but the sender was a fake name at the Jesus Center.